Be Careful What We Wish For

Currently at work, I am researching the history of energy efficiency. Everyone thinks that this issue had its real foundation in the 1970's with what was at that time, considered non-mainstream, basically a "tree-hugger's" ideal. But over the past 40 years, various and evolving forms of energy efficiency have become the norm for the home, workplace, transportation, health maintenance.

But surprising, I find information about energy efficiency going back to the 18th Century. Perhaps, in those days it was a matter of producing as much energy as possible. At this time economic and technological development is linked to shifts in energy sources, i.e., from coal (a solid fuel) to oil (liquid) or natural gas (gas). From the beginning of history up until the 18th Century, man's use of energy came from muscular or biomass (wood) sources. Most work was done by manual labor or animals,  using wood for heating and cooking. Windmills and watermills were employed but not to great extent. Eventually, the Industrial Revolution would change all that with steam or coal powered engines.

In 1712 - the first Steam Engine was developed in England to Pump Water Out of Coal Mines.

In 1767 - the first solar thermal collector was developed by Swiss scientist Horace de Saussure, to generate energy, with simple foods being cooked in black cast iron pots, and heat collectors in the form of hot boxes to cook food. Horace was ahead of his time!

1790's - coal began to take the place of current sources of energy... Wood, wind, water, beeswax, tallow, sperm-oil - all these were displaced steadily by coal and derivatives of coal...

1800 - the process of electrolysis is discovered , with English scientists William Nicholson and Sir Anthony Carlisle discovering that applying electric current to water produced hydrogen and oxygen gases. This process was called electrolysis. This was an important historic step in the development of hydrogen energy and the hydrogen fuel cell.

Of course, as the Industrial Revolution took hold, its great benefits also held the beginnings of the dreaded black skyline, creating the London combination of smoke and fog, or "smog" as it became known. The rest is history, and now we have the massive clean up underway.  We need to be careful, or be careful what we wish for! 

Phys Ed, 18th Century Style

When the Summer comes along, everybody.....and I mean everybody, wants to look their best in their summer attire, or beach wear. During the winter, all those "Figure Flaws" are concealed under coats and sweaters. Haha

We start to take stock of what we eat, and how much, and then there is the task of doing more, or better, exercise. But we 21st Century folk are not alone at this.

The history of exercise dates back to pre-historic times, though Cro-Magnum man might not have understood that he was exercising, when he was running away from a T-Rex! Keeping fit is important for many reasons! 

Around 400 BC, Hippocrates famously mentioned about exercise, "If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health."  At this time, people gave seriously thought to the importance of physical exercise, and its beneficial effects on the human body. Hippocrates's thoughts were shared by other famous thinkers a few centuries later.

The idea of exercise routines to help build up the body, came along later, and no one is sure exactly when, but there are some suggestions from ancient Rome, Greece and even in India, where artifacts like dumbbells have been found. 

But in the 18th Century, the idea of physical fitness took hold. exercises became more efficient, and included running, weight lifting, some exercise machinery employed. The notion of going to the gymnasium became popular. Some "myths" about exercise were dispelled, like weight training slowed down athletes, endurance training taxed the heart and was unhealthy for women, that exercise was not good for elderly people. All these myths have been found to be untrue, and the more exercise, the better, as long as people work up to it. The notion of the "Weekend Warrior" sees many good intentions ruined. But as they say, use it or lose it!

A Study in Color

I have been away traveling a bit, and before that, I had a ton of work on my desk, so I have not had the opportunity to blog.

But, now that I am back, I wanted to touch base on COLOR.

Before I left I was engaged in choosing some new interior colors for an apartment complex we are refurbishing. Every year, an official board of color publishes the "in" colors for the year to be used by interior designers, fabric and furniture suppliers, etc. This is how the market keeps people buying. You want to have what is current, what is in style, what is the new thing.

You would think this is a current phenomenon, but it is not. The "in" color goes back a long way. Sometimes it is a political thing, sometimes a cultural trend, sometimes it is created by rebellion, or what is accessible, or suggests class distinction.

For instance, in ancient Rome, the color Purple was used by the wealthy, or status-conscious. Purple was hard to come by in natural dyes, and so only the few could afford it.

For our concern, in the 18th Century, a kind of Bluish-Green, maybe Aqua, became popular. When I visited Mount Vernon, President George Washington's estate, I saw this color in his formal dining room. It was considered most fashionable, and I remember taking particular note of it. Supposedly he loved the color green, and added the striking "verdigris" green in 1785, believing it was ease on the eye, and the best color to aid in digestion. His words described the color as "grateful to the eye", and less likely to fade. he added a glazing coat over it to intensify the color. By the way, his personal family dining was an even more intense green! What do you think?!

Recently, when I was at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, I saw this particular color again. The V&A is the premier museum for decorative arts, and contains rooms that are set up with furniture and furnishings from several historical periods. It's fun to walk through, and picture yourself 'back in the day". One room I entered featured 18th Century décor, and this Aqua color was on a mantelpiece.

Also, many pieces of Wedgewood porcelain sport the typical classical white figures against the green background. These pieces are known as Jasperware, inspired by the Etrurian works of ancient times that were being excavated from ancient sites. In 1789, Josiah Wedgewood developed an acceptable reproduction of this pottery, and it became the rage. Once you notice something, you see it everywhere! 

So it's not just our modern world that has an interest in their surroundings. People from all ages want to live comfortably, with their favorite items displayed in their favorite ways, and that includes COLOR!

Once you notice something, you start to find it everywhere!